FiftyTwo Flavors
by justaminuet
Summary: Daisuke's life seems to be going downhill lately. Things just may change though, thanks to Takeru's date for the Sakura Festival. Themes based off a challenge community.
1. The Cruelest Month

Disclaimer: I am making no profit for this little fan endeavor. Motomiya Daisuke, Catherine, and any other Digimon character appearing in this are the sole property of Toei Animation. I promise to return them in mint to near mint condition.

Author's Notes: This story is being based (And originally posted) in a LiveJournal community called 52 Flavours. Fifty-Two themes, one for every week of the year. I decided to put my bid in for Daisuke and Catherine. If you don't think you can handle the idea of the pairing, that's okay. Just, don't go flipping out over my fic. Go find something that you'll actually like to read.

**Fifty-Two Flavors**

**Theme 2: The Cruelest Month**

It wasn't that Motomiya Daisuke couldn't handle rejection. Sure, he didn't take it well, but given enough time to fume over it and a sturdy enough wall to kick a few times, and he'd be back to his energetic self in no time.

It was the not being told he was rejected that was leaving a lasting sting in his heart. She could've at least said something to him. Hadn't years of being friends earned him at least that much respect? A simple, "I'm sorry, Daisuke-kun, but I just don't feel that way about you." It would've hurt, but at least the understanding would've started there.

Instead, what he got was her smiling face as she nervously introduced a boy he'd never seen before. "Daisuke-kun, this is Hiroki-kun. He-he's going with me to the Sakura Festival this year."

Oh. Was he now? Well, Daisuke supposed that settled that. At least it wasn't Takeru.

Ken had tried to tell him that Hikari probably just couldn't think of any other way to tell it to him. She wasn't very good at confrontation, like Daisuke himself or Miyako were. The brunette generally avoided it to the best of her ability. Most likely, this was the best way she could gather enough courage to explain it to him.

And, after a while, Daisuke had understood that. Hikari was Hikari. She never truly meant to ever be cruel. It wasn't in her nature. She just didn't handle situations like he did, didn't even look at them the same way he did. And maybe that's why she had chosen this Hiroki over him in the end.

Still, he couldn't help but hope that during the festival, Hiroki choked on a dumpling. A few times.

**---**

Two weeks before the Sakura watching, Takeru had called with a frantic request.

"Please, Daisuke," he had pleaded. "I'm stuck practicing late with the basketball team. Just pick her up at the airport!"

A fellow Chosen was set to arrive that day. A French girl named... Christine? Caitlin?

"Catherine," Takeru said for the fourth time. "Her name is Catherine Bodine. Blonde, blue eyed. She'll have a Floramon with her. You won't be able to miss her."

"Fine," Daisuke sighed. "You owe me one."

"Yeah, I know," Takeru sighed back, but the begoggled boy could practically _hear_ the grin in it. "Thanks, Daisuke."

And that was how he wound up at the airport, a haphazard sign reading, "BODINE" scribbled onto it with the help of his sister, who had a far better grasp of the horror that was the Roman alphabet.

The airport gate itself was dark, thanks to a few broken lights that they had apparently decided not to fix. He began to wonder if this girl would even be able to see his ridiculous sign with such terrible lighting. Maybe he should've brought V-mon along. The dragon could've sat on his shoulders and gotten a better look. As it was, he felt like she was just going to be lost in the crowd.

He truly felt stupid, waiting in the middle of the place, people zipping by him, and occasionally hitting into him with their overpacked luggage. These past couple of weeks just seemed to get progressively worse with every passing day. He was beginning to wonder if maybe he should start paying attention to his horoscope. It had probably forewarned him of terrible times ahead of him. "All Libras should stay inside the month of May. Trust us on this. Do yourself a favor, and just stay in bed." Slightly bitter over the situation, Daisuke began to ponder a proper payback to extract from his tall friend.

"Ah, Catherine! Là-bas!"

The high pitched voice caused Daisuke to focus in on the crowd. Only one sort of creature in the world had such a cutesy voice; a digimon. And with that, came a digimon partner. And he couldn't imagine many "Catherine's" walking about Odaiba.

Still, he didn't see anyone unusual in the crowd. Just your standard set of Japanese people, now with their own digimon partners either walking, flying, or being carried. Maybe he had just been hearing things. Hoping that she was there, so he could leave the place, instead of standing around like a moron with some sign that he couldn't even read.

"Pardonnez-moi. Eh- Excuse me?"

It was a soft voice at first. Uncertain, and nervous in tone. With a very thick accent. It excused itself again, this time obviously trying to make its Japanese a bit more presentable. It failed miserably. But Daisuke liked the lilting note it had in its overdone inflections, and he tried desperately to figure out where in the darkness it was coming from.

And finally, the voice and its owner stepped out of the darkness of the terminal gate into the awaiting sunlight from the large windows. The pale girl looked flustered and unsure, but her stride was delicate. She moved almost like she was listening to a steady bit, with perfectly swaying hips, and heeled sandals that clapped in time to it. Blonde curls bounced about, being barely restrained by a red headband, and pretty blue eyes were obviously trying to seek someone out.

"Là-bas, Catherine!" a Floramon said beside the girl, yanking lightly on the blonde's red sundress, as she pointed toward Daisuke.

The girl looked up, caught his eye and his sign, and a smile formed on her face as she waved a slender hand to him.

"Ah, hello...?" her pretty voice trailed as she finally reached him.

"Daisuke," he grinned. "Motomiya Daisuke. Takeru couldn't make it. He asked me to pick you up."

"Die...Skay," Catherine tested the foreign name. "Die-skay."

"Close enough," he shrugged. He couldn't pronounce her name properly, either. "C'mon. I'll get us a cab."

Happily throwing the sign away, he helped the blonde retrieve her luggage (Which was overpacked itself, he noted with some annoyance. Would it kill a woman to pack light?), and took a sigh of relief when they stepped outside.

"So," Daisuke began, trying to make conversation, "what made you visit now?" He hoped this girl didn't force him into some uncomfortable silence. That would just be the cherry on top of his sundae of misery.

"Tah-kehroo asked me to come," Catherine replied, her accent delicately mangling the language. "Something about bringing me to a festival..."

Takeru was getting his date from outside the country. Daisuke was almost impressed. But mostly, he was irritated. Now it seemed he was the only one of his friends who'd go alone. Ken had stuttered out a request for Miyako's presence, which was naturally accepted with an exuberance that left the blue haired genius so red it looked like he had been about to faint. And, of course, Hikari had her Hiroki. Hiroki... Had Daisuke hoped that he choked yet? If not, he decided to do so now, just in case. And Iori... Well, Iori was thirteen now. He still had a couple years before he'd worry about his. Besides, top kendo players always seemed to have a flock of fangirls wherever they went.

"You'll be there too, no?" Catherine asked, interrupting his uncharacteristically depressed thoughts.

"Probably not, no," Daisuke muttered, waving a hand for a cab.

The French girl frowned at this, but said nothing else. Well, this was great. He _was_ going to have to deal with uncomfortable silence.

That did it. Daisuke decided that he hated May, and from now on, was banning it for the rest of his life.


	2. Another Grey Day in the Deep Blue World

**Disclaimer:** I am making no profit for this little fan endeavor. Motomiya Daisuke, Catherine, and any other Digimon character appearing in this are the sole property of Toei Animation. I promise to return them in mint to near mint condition. 

_Author's Notes:_ This story is being based (And originally posted) in a LiveJournal community called 52 Flavours. Fifty-Two themes, one for every week of the year. I decided to put my bid in for Daisuke and Catherine. If you don't think you can handle the idea of the pairing, that's okay. Just, don't go flipping out over my fic. Go find something that you'll actually like to read. Note: Catherine was never given a last name in canon. However, I wanted her to have one in this story. Thus, "Bodine." Please, do _not_ consider it canon. I just thought it sounded proper for her. 

**

Fifty-Two Flavors

**

**Theme 19: Another Grey Day in the Deep Blue World**

Days were beginning to merge with each other, Daisuke realized. The more he looked around, the less interesting the life around him seemed to be. He was almost starting to miss the life threatening dangers saving the world brought him. At least it kept things entertaining. With nothing in danger the days dragged on, and became gray in their monotony. It was all horribly boring to him. 

Not that he was still in his bitter depression. No, he was quickly shaking it off, as it dawned on him that all the brooding in the world wasn't going to change anything. Besides, he was stuck with the French girl as her host. 

That wasn't in the original plans. Catherine was supposed to spend her time in Japan with Hikari, but the moment Floramon had entered the Yagami residence it became apparent that Mr. Yagami had a horrible allergy to the plant digimon. Daisuke didn't think anyone's face could blow up to such a size without exploding. 

Naturally, where ever Floramon went so did Catherine, so new arrangements had to be made. And, since Miyako's siblings still remained home for college, while Jun did not, Daisuke found himself in the company of the blonde Chosen. 

And even with the new change, days passed without incident. Catherine spent most of her time with Takeru, for obvious reasons, and Daisuke had no complaint. He wasn't quite sure he had anything in common with her anyway, and was loathe to repeat the deadly silence they had in between them the first time they'd met. 

So, it was a surprise to have Catherine shyly knocking on his bedroom door one Sunday morning. 

He was still in his pajamas, naturally. Daisuke's internal clock always set off its alarm at around noon. Anything earlier and there was no guarantee that he'd be in full functioning capacity. 

Catherine, on the other hand, was not only dressed but looking rather perky. "Um, good morning, Die-skay," she said, her accent nicely destroying his name. 

"Morning," he muttered, not quite understanding why she was there. 

"Tah-kehroo was supposed to show me around Odaiba today." When he said nothing, she continued. "But he had to help his mother with something." 

Daisuke wasn't following her. Didn't she know it was only ten in the morning? "Oh." 

And that was all he said. Catherine obviously expected more, for she looked at him rather befuddled. Then there came that awkward silence between them that he hated so much. Why was she disturbing him? He could still be sleeping... 

"Ah..." Catherine tilted her head, nervously twirling a golden lock of hair with her fingers. "Will _you_ take me around, instead?" 

He blinked, positive he had heard her wrong. "Eh?" 

The nervous hair twirling continued. "Will you walk with me? I'd really like to see everything around here. It's so different from home! And I don't think Tah-kehroo will have any time anymore." The French girl frowned. "He seems to have less and less time by the day." 

Daisuke scratched the back of his head, grimacing. "Well, I-" 

"Please, Die-skay?" she pleaded, unleashing the most devastating puppy-dog look the boy had ever seen. So perfect in its patheticness was it, that he idly wondered if French children took a course on it in school. 

Damn. He couldn't trump that. "Fine," he sighed. 

"Thank you!" Catherine grinned, clapping her hands together at her little victory. 

--- 

Walking around Odaiba with the French girl really wasn't so bad, Daisuke decided after a while. She seemed to be raptly listening to him prattle on about sights he'd point out, and he didn't really mind answering her questions about the oddities she saw. Though, he had been truly stumped as to how to explain the gothic lolita that had stopped them on the street, demanding to know how Catherine got her hair into its perfect ringlets. Some things were just beyond words. Still, the blonde handled it well, if a little warily. 

Daisuke suggested that if she really wanted to see something, that they should go to Tokyo, or Kyoto. It would have to be a trip for another day, but Odaiba really wasn't the most cultural place if she wanted to get a taste of Japan. However, Catherine seemed quite happy with the little tour she was being given. 

Honestly, he didn't even know why he had volunteered to take her to those places, anyway. Catherine was Takeru's guest, not his. He shouldn't be the one giving her a tour of anything. Though, it did get him out of the apartment for a little bit. A change of pace was rather nice, and she wasn't bad company. 

All in all, the day hadn't become a disaster. There weren't anymore deadly silences between them, as he discovered that when Catherine was curious, she would ask questions until she was satisfied with the answer. 

And it was this little quirk about her that stopped Catherine dead in her tracks while passing a convenience store. Realizing she was not following him anymore, Daisuke turned around. "Catherine?" 

Blue eyes wide, the girl pointed in front of her. "Die-skay... The machine." 

Daisuke looked over to the vending machine she was pointing at. "What about it?" 

"It has beer," Catherine stated, her expression full of confusion. 

He shrugged, not understanding. He'd learned previously that Catherine's tastes were too refined for beer. "And?" 

She frowned, apparently thinking her Japanese wasn't fluent enough for him to comprehend what she was trying to say. She tried again. "The vending machine has beer. _Beer._" 

Finally, it began to dawn on him what she was getting at. "That isn't normal for your country, is it?" 

Catherine shook her head emphatically. 

Grinning, he pointed behind him. "The store over there has a machine that sells figurines from different anime." 

The blonde girl quirked a brow, incredulous. "Really?" 

"Sure," Daisuke said, amused at her disbelief. "Vending machines sell all sorts of things. Magazines, cup noodles, toilet paper, omikuji..." 

"...Toilet paper?" Catherine repeated, flatly. She frowned again. "Your country is very... different, Die-skay." 

"You think?" he asked, this time him being the one in disbelief. "Seems like a fairly boring place to me." 

"But everything is so bright here!" she exclaimed. "Everything flashes, or sings, or both. And people wear weird clothing and no one seems to think anything of it. People in business suits sing in bars, and don't get kicked out." 

"Karaoke," he muttered. "You have it, too." 

"And Japan has all this new technology I've never seen. I don't think I'll see your cell phone in France for another year. And all these different shows you can watch. There are all these beautiful temples you can go to. People can become 'idols,' if they want. And," she pointed to her left, "there's beer in the vending machines. _Beer._" 

Daisuke found himself chuckling, despite himself. "And toilet paper." 

"And toilet paper!" Catherine repeated, giggling. 

"I suppose," he relented, "that this place _is_ a little interesting. Sometimes." 

"Yes! And you must finish showing me your very interesting hometown, Die-skay." And with that, she grabbed his hand and began pulling him along. 

He realized that it was inappropriate for him to be holding her hand, for multiple reasons. She wasn't his girl. She was only a friend, and barely one at that. Still, Catherine didn't know that it was wrong, nor did he think she would care if he told her. And even if he thought of telling her, she had already restarted her endless barrage of questions. 

He relented without a fight. At least the day seemed a little less grey, and a little more blue. He had forgotten how much he missed color. 


	3. Eyes Meeting Over the Noise

Disclaimer: I am making no profit for this little fan endeavor. Motomiya Daisuke, Catherine, and any other Digimon character appearing in this are the sole property of Toei Animation. I promise to return them in mint to near mint condition.

Author's Notes: This story is being based (And originally posted) in a LiveJournal community called 52 Flavours. Fifty-Two themes, one for every week of the year. I decided to put my bid in for Daisuke and Catherine. If you don't think you can handle the idea of the pairing, that's okay. Just, don't go flipping out over my fic. Go find something that you'll actually like to read.

**Fifty-Two Flavors**

**Theme 43. Eyes Meeting Over the Noise**

The day of the Sakura Festival arrived quicker than anyone expected. To just about everyone Daisuke knew, it was a hectic day filled with frantic, last minute things to do and general stressing over how it would all turn out. To Daisuke himself, it was just a day his sister forced him into a blue yukata and shoved him out the door.

"You look cute, Daisuke!" said the visiting Jun, herself dressed up in a yellow yukata.

"Yeah, I'm sure..." his voice trailed, as he looked behind for something he wasn't sure of.

Jun frowned for a moment at her brother's odd behavior, then shrugged it off. Sometimes Daisuke got into ruts like this, but he'd eventually get himself out of it, too. Best to let it run its course. "If you're looking for Catherine-chan, she already left with Takeru-kun."

"Eh?" Daisuke turned back, and huffed a bit. "I wasn't looking for anyone!"

"Well, okay then. When we get to the Sakura Festival, just go find your friends... Or something," Jun waved her hands about. "All right?"

He raised a brow. "Why?"

"Because it's not cool to bring your little brother on a date."

Daisuke stopped short. "...You have a date?"

"Sure. What?" Jun spun around, hands on her hips. "You don't think your sister can get a date?"

He couldn't help it. "...No."

The auburn haired girl turned red for a minute with fury, then cooled off with an arrogant laugh. "The only dateless loser I see here is you, dear brother!"

"I didn't _want_ a date!" Daisuke said, stubbornly.

"Infamous last words from the desperate and hopeless!" Jun cried, laughing all the way to the elevator, as her brother chased after her with a geta sandal in his hands.

---

The festival itself was beautiful, as was expected. The breeze was cool, but the sun was bright and warm enough to keep it from being chilly. The initial crowd had eventually dispersed itself into three large groups; enjoying the dancers and musicians, eating the offered food, or lying about underneath the sakura trees.

Daisuke had situated himself underneath one tree, and tried not to look too miserable. On the bright side of things, V-mon had somehow escaped the apartment and followed his begoggled partner all the way to the festival. As such, he was resting beside him, and nearly half asleep. Daisuke appreciated his company all the same. Out of everyone he knew, V-mon always knew when Daisuke needed him most.

"Daisuke," slurred the groggy digimon. "I'm hungry."

The boy grinned. "You said that twenty minutes ago. After you ate two helpings of shrimp tempura."

"I'm a growing digimon!"

"Yeah, you're just not growing _vertically._"

The barb was rewarded with a half hearted elbow to Daisuke's ribs. However, V-mon's protest was drowned in his yawn. It was far too peaceful a setting to be considered a 'festival,' as far as the blue dragon was concerned. It needed more excitement. And food. While Daisuke himself was rather fine in the hunger department, he too yawned at the lack of anything interesting. Without his friends around --V-mon excluded, of course-- the whole thing seemed rather pointless.

The music began to swell, as the Sankyoku was reaching its climax. As much as Daisuke wouldn't admit it to anyone, he rather liked the sound of a koto, and leaned his head back to better hear the band behind him. It had been a very upbeat song, and between the dancers and people in general conversation, it seemed as if the whole festival was showing its spark of life in those last few moments of the music.

With so many people talking at once, Daisuke heard nothing but human buzzing and the sound of the koto somehow rising above it all. It made a surprisingly pleasant white noise, that made him feel rather sleepy. He lazily watched the crowd around him walk about, the colors of the yukatas beginning to blur in front of his slowly closing eyes.

And then, something red caught his attention, and Daisuke's brown eyes opened wide. About twenty feet away, amidst the crowd and noise, stood a familiar French girl, her blonde curls held back by a red band. She was wearing a white and red yukata, and looking about rather perplexed. She must've lost Takeru somehow. She was calling out what Daisuke could only assume to be Takeru's name, but with all the conversations around him, he couldn't be sure.

She looked stunning, Daisuke realized. She always looked pretty, but the yukata seemed to flatter Catherine's lithe figure in a way that left the boy somewhat breatheless. She seemed so much more a lady, and he found himself wondering why he had never noticed just how beautiful his house guest was.

Daisuke leaned forward, debating on walking over, when Catherine turned to him and their eyes locked. Brown met blue, and for a moment the whole world seemed to go silent.

The noise suddenly rushed back into Daisuke's ears when Takeru came from behind Catherine, and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl spun around, and smiled brightly at the tall boy. Something about that didn't seem to sit completely right with Daisuke, but he couldn't figure out why. When Catherine pointed to him through the crowd and Takeru waved happily, the goggle boy could only wave with half his energy. Still, he put up the best front he could, and flashed his trademarked grin. That seemed to satisfy Takeru, and he began to lead Catherine back to where they were probably sitting.

Before she completely disappeared in the crowd, Catherine turned to him one last time and waved sadly. And then she was gone.

"She wanted you to join her, you know," murmured V-mon, surprising his partner.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Daisuke said, sourly. "She's with Takeru."

"So?" V-mon challenged, looking up for only a moment. "She wanted to be with _you._"

"Oh, really? When did you become psychic?" the boy asked.

"I'm not."

"Exactly."

"But," V-mon yawned one more time, before settling in for a good nap, "you don't have to be psychic to speak to Floramon. You just have to know Digicode."

Something jumped in Daisuke's chest, and he turned to his friend. "What does that mean? Hey!"

However, V-mon was as heavy a sleeper as his partner, and Daisuke realized that he would be fighting a losing battle. As it was, that cryptic line was enough to keep the boy from truly enjoying the rest of the days festivities. He couldn't help but somewhat wish his friend had never said it at all, and yet could not wait to figure out its meaning.


	4. Bathing In Artificial Light

__

Disclaimer: I am making no profit for this little fan endeavor. Motomiya Daisuke, Catherine, and any other Digimon character appearing in this are the sole property of Toei Animation. I promise to return them in mint to near mint condition. 

Author's Notes: This story is being based (And originally posted) in a LiveJournal community called 52 Flavours. Fifty-Two themes, one for every week of the year. I decided to put my bid in for Daisuke and Catherine. If you don't think you can handle the idea of the pairing, that's okay. Just, don't go flipping out over my fic. Go find something that you'll actually like to read. ****

Fifty-Two Flavors 

Theme 15. Bathing in Artificial Light 

It's strange, Daisuke thought, that feelings can change in short periods of time. That what you once thought was an absolute fact, was now something that you weren't so sure on. And possibilities you didn't even know existed suddenly presented themselves right in front of you. 

Stranger still was the fact that he was sitting on his apartment's balcony, with his house guest sitting Indian style next to him. Daisuke wondered why she had not taken up Takeru's offer that day to spend time sight seeing. Instead, she said that she wasn't feeling well, and opted to stay in the Motomiya's home. 

Catherine had seemed listless that day, but hadn't seemed sick, per say. And now, staring at the night sky, she looked more sad than ill. 

"Catherine?" Daisuke prompted, not liking the silence. 

"Do you like the night, Die-skay?" Catherine asked, never turning to him. Before he could answer, she plunged on. "I've always enjoyed the nighttime. Once, when I was a little girl, my parents took me camping. So far away from the lights of Paris, I didn't even know there were so many stars in the sky. 

"Odaiba is a lot like Paris," she said. "You can barely see the stars here. But I still think the night is pretty. It's quiet and peaceful. I like being awake when the world's asleep." 

Daisuke turned to the dark sky for a moment, before looking back on his house guest. "I… like the daytime more." 

The girl laughed. "You don't have to sound so ashamed! I won't hold it against you," she said, conspiratorially. 

The balcony light flickered for a moment, before continuing its dull hum as the light shined on. It was dimmer than before, and made everything glow a warm yellow. Daisuke thought it made Catherine look quite pretty. 

"I'm going home next week," she said, a melancholy tone lacing the words. 

"Yeah," he nodded. "Friday, right?" 

"Friday," she repeated in agreement. "You'll be there to see me off?" 

"Well, yeah," Daisuke blinked, taken aback. "But, don't you want Takeru there, instead?" 

"Takeh-roo will be there, of course. But," Catherine turned to him, "I want you to be there too, Die-skay." 

"Why?" 

The girl frowned. She turned away, allowing her blonde locks to cover whatever expression was on her face. "Because." 

"…Okay," he finally said, realizing that was the only answer he'd get from her. 

A short silence followed, as Daisuke sat and watched the girl stare off into nothingness. The balcony light dimmed a bit more, before buzzing back to a pleasant yellow that made the whole scene look like an old photograph to him. He suddenly wished for a camera, so he could capture whatever this strange, sad scene was before him. He didn't really understand it, but it caused him to ache. 

"You're really very dense, Die-skay," Catherine muttered, breaking the moment. 

"Huh?" he raised a brow, confused. 

"But I guess it's one of your charms. In a way," she added. With a determined face, she looked at him. "Let's go somewhere tomorrow." 

"Wouldn't you rather go with Take- ?" 

"_No,_" Catherine interrupted, fingers curling into delicate fists in her lap. "I'm not Takeh-roo's girlfriend! I only came to visit as a friend. _Friend!_ And I want to go with you." Flustered, she turned away from him. 

Silently, Catherine fingered the hem of her skirt, refusing to look at the befuddled boy next to her. But Daisuke, even through all his inability to read people's emotions, could tell that he had said something profoundly stupid. Something that he should've realized was best left unspoken. __

"I'm not Takeh-roo's girlfriend!" 

Didn't she want to be? That was the whole point to her visiting and going to the festival, wasn't it? Or maybe he had just interpreted it incorrectly. It certainly seemed like he had. V-mon had even mentioned it. His own partner, and he still didn't get it. Once again, what was obvious to others around him was something that he was totally oblivious to. 

"Where do you want to go?" Daisuke asked, softly. 

Her gaze tentatively went to him. "Tokyo Tower." 

He raised a brow. "That'll be a whole day's trip. We'll have to get up early." 

"And?" 

"I'm not really a morning person." 

Blue eyes turned back to the cement floor. "Oh." 

"So," Daisuke sighed, placing his hands behind him and leaning back, "I guess you'll have to wake me up." 

Catherine was still for a moment, before turning to him completely, a small smile on her face. "…I guess I will." The blonde stood up, brushing herself off. "We should go to bed, then." 

He looked up to her then, and it was at that moment that the balcony light sparked back to its full white glory, surrounding his guest in shining aura that made her blonde locks sparkle like gold, and caused shadows to dance on her pretty features. It was the second time that simply looking at her made it hard for him to breathe. He wondered if this would become habitual. If it did, he wasn't sure that it would be that unpleasant. 

"Die-skay?" Catherine prompted, noticing his odd look. 

He shook his head. "It's nothing. It's just that…" His voice trailed as he waved one hand in a vain effort to force the words out. 

A small giggle escaped Catherine's lips, and walked towards the door. "Goodnight, Die-skay." 

It was only after she had left, that Daisuke fully regained his ability to speak. 

"…You look really pretty in the light." 


	5. Tomorrow is Something We Remember

_Disclaimer:_ I am making no profit for this little fan endeavor. Motomiya Daisuke, Catherine, and any other Digimon character appearing in this are the sole property of Toei Animation. I promise to return them in mint to near mint condition.

_Author's Notes:_ This story is being based (And originally posted) in a LiveJournal community called 52 Flavours. Fifty-Two themes, one for every week of the year. I decided to put my bid in for Daisuke and Catherine. If you don't think you can handle the idea of the pairing, that's okay. Just, don't go flipping out over my fic. Go find something that you'll actually like to read.

**Fifty-Two Flavors **

**Theme 49. Tomorrow is Something We Remember **

Motomiya Daisuke liked to sleep. A lot. And he was good at what he loved. However, this natural gift of his meant that it was nearly impossible to wake him up, unless the person was truly determined.

Fortunately for Catherine, she had a natural gift of being determined.

Shaking him hadn't worked, and neither had raising her voice in both Japanese and her native tongue. So, she opted for what always worked on her when she was little. She sat on his bed, and proceeded to tickle the sleeping boy's sides.

Daisuke's brown eyes snapped open, and the first thing his blurry vision caught was a sea of gold. He blinked a few times at the odd sight, and when his eyesight cleared he realized that it was Catherine leaning slightly over him, her ringlets cascading around her neck and shoulders. Thinking about it momentarily, he decided his first impression wasn't that far off.

"Morning, Die-skay!" Catherine smiled, kind enough to not be too loud.

"Morning," he muttered, unable to feel her enthusiasm so early in the day.

"You have to get up," she told him as she stood. "You promised to take me to Tokyo Tower, remember?"

"…Yeah. Yeah I did, didn't I?"

"Yes!"

There was a brightness to Catherine's voice that was somewhat contagious, and Daisuke found himself smiling despite his sleepiness. "Okay, okay. Let me get done."

---

It had nearly wiped Daisuke and Catherine's respective wallets clean to afford the top observatory at Tokyo Tower, but the smile on the blonde girl's face somehow made up for Daisuke's sudden lack of money. He really shouldn't have been annoyed, anyway. He _had _borrowed it from his parents, after all.

"Die-skay!" Catherine waved him over to a pair observatory binoculars. "You have to point out Mt. Fuji for me. I can't find it."

"You're on the wrong side," he explained, directing her to another window. "Over here. See?"

The girl looked intently into the binoculars, biting her lip just slightly in concentration. "Oh! There, I see it! It looks purple."

"It's because of the stone, and the haze around it," Daisuke replied. "We're lucky it's so clear outside. It's so far away, you can't see it at all if there are clouds."

"From up here, Japan doesn't look that much different from France, in a way," said Catherine, standing up straight. "It's just… Shaped differently. And your colors look brighter, I think. Everything is bright here. I like your country very much, Die-skay."

"Eh, it's not so bad," he shrugged. "Wouldn't mind seeing yours, though. It'd be nice to get out of here for once."

"You can!" she told him, smiling widely. "You can visit whenever you wish. I'd like that very much."

"Would you?" Daisuke muttered, almost to himself. The thought of getting away from it all seemed so inviting, especially after the past couple of months. "A change of pace would be fun, you know? Just something… different from here."

"Any time you'd like, Die-skay," Catherine repeated. "I'm sure my parents would be happy to have you. They like it when guests stay. My mother's a great cook! Any excuse to make something extravagant is good to her."

He turned to his house guest, and her hopeful expression. Could he afford it? Well, maybe his parents wouldn't mind sending him. They liked Catherine. Or maybe he could use the Digital World as a means of travel. It'd be a little more of a hassle, but he wouldn't have to pay anything. Besides, wasn't getting away from everything, even for a just a little while, sounding really good? A chance to see everything from a fresh perspective, and come back home reinvigorated. "I'll think about it," he said, finally.

His answer seemed to make Catherine smile even more, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Good. Ah, Die-skay!" she held a hand up, smacking it slightly on the side of her head. "I almost forgot!"

He watched as she began rummaging through her little pink purse, until she managed to pull out a small digital camera. "If I don't take pictures, I'll never forgive myself!"

The next thing Daisuke knew, his guest was a flurry of motion, as she went diligently to each window, taking picture after picture, even spinning herself around to take shots of the observatory itself. A few people in the tower stopped and waved at the girl, which earned them a spot on her camera's memory card. And Daisuke found himself to be the subject of quite a few of Catherine's candid snaps of life.

It was amusing, he thought, to watch her run around almost like a little girl. She tried to act so mature for the most part, but every so often she'd show this giddy side to her that seemed to de-age her about five years. He actually thought it was rather endearing.

"Mmmm, pardon me," the blonde asked a middle aged woman suddenly. She held up her camera, and smile politely. "Would you take a picture of me and my friend?"

The woman looked at the French girl and then at Daisuke, and smiled back. "Of course."

"Thank you!" Catherine rushed over to her host's side, and wrapped her arms around his left one.

It was a simple gesture, really. Something that he knew was done in her society all the time, and he should really be putting it in that context. Still, his brain couldn't help but analyze it to his own culture's standards, and that caused him to blush from chin to forehead.

What was a casual touch to Catherine was a completely different thing to Daisuke and everyone that surrounded them. Didn't she even notice the surprised expression on the woman's face in front of them? Maybe not, since the surprise then gave way to a wise knowing smile, and the older woman, mischief in her eyes, flashed the boy a quick victory sign before taking the picture.

"Thank you," Catherine said again, retrieving her camera. She spun back to Daisuke, her smile still as bright as before, "So, do you want to stay a little longer?"

"Actually," he tilted his head back, trying to cool his flushed face off, "we could go next door to the Zojoji Temple. My cousin works there, so if we're clever enough we can get in for free." He winked, a devious grin on his face.

She grinned back, giggling. "Let's do it!"

---

Temple touring, Daisuke found out, was much more fun when one not only snuck in through the back entrance, but had a foreigner with them with no idea what to do at any given time.

"See, you ring the bell here," Daisuke explained, proceeding to do just as he said, "and then you clap twice and you pray."

Catherine seemed rather skeptical that she was being told the truth, but after a moment seemed to take Daisuke's word on the matter, and clapped twice before lowering her head for a quick prayer.

"Wanna see the rest of the gardens?" he asked when she lifted her head.

Her camera made its second appearance for the day. "Yes!" Catherine stated, smiling.

Every single statue and monument became her subjects, and most of Daisuke's questions to her were answered in camera clicks and giggles. She would impishly grin at him, and speak in quick French, making it impossible for him to figure out what she was saying to him in reply.

Her coquettishness made him dizzy, and he laughed when she would marvel at a plaque, stubbornly trying to decipher it with her meager knowledge of written Japanese. She would turn to him and flatly tell him that it wasn't nice to laugh at someone, and then would poke his nose and giggle.

She was a bundle of contradictions, and he found himself loving that.

She made him wonder if he thought too highly of himself. She made him wonder if he thought too lowly of his country. She made him wonder if he had been moping too much lately. She made him wonder how a day of sight seeing could be so enjoyable.

She made him wonder if he could somehow make Friday never come to pass.

---

On the way home on the train, Catherine turned to him. "Die-skay, I want to do this again. But in France. I want to show you the Eiffel Tower, and all the places I love."

"In France…" Daisuke repeated, the thought once again being brought up and still sounding just as inviting.

"Please, Die-skay. Visit me," she pleaded. She frowned, her blue eyes sad. "I'm afraid if you don't, you'll forget me."

Surprised, he looked at her, eyebrows quirked. "What makes you think that?"

"People always forget what they don't see," she whispered. "It's inevitable. I don't want you to forget me."

"I won't," he promised, not liking the solemn expression on her face.

She sighed, and shook her head. "You say that now, but-"

_"No." _

Daisuke didn't know why he placed his hand over hers. He barely acknowledged that he had at the time. All he knew was that he never wanted to see Catherine sad because of him, and he had to convince her somehow. She needed to smile again. He liked it when she smiled.

And so there he was, his hand over hers and leaning in a bit more than what was acceptable. But he had her attention, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

"I swear, I won't forget," he vowed. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I'll remember, no matter what. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. I'll remember it all. Because I don't want to forget you, either. You believe me, right?"

She stared at him with wide eyes, which slowly filled with tears. Quickly, she blinked and turned away to brush aside her tears without him seeing. When she turned back to him, she offered him a shaky but happy smile. "Yes, I believe you."

"Good," Daisuke nodded, relieved. "Maybe… Maybe I can visit this summer. If I can swing it with my parents."

"I'd really like that," Catherine said, her smile becoming stronger.

"Yeah," he nodded again, taking in her grin, and feeling somehow proud at making her happy again. "I think I would, too."


	6. Hard, But Much Truer

_Disclaimer:_ I am making no profit for this little fan endeavor. Motomiya Daisuke, Catherine, and any other Digimon character appearing in this are the sole property of Toei Animation. I promise to return them in mint to near mint condition.

_Author's Notes_: This story is being based (And originally posted) in a LiveJournal community called 52 Flavours. Fifty-Two themes, one for every week of the year. I decided to put my bid in for Daisuke and Catherine. If you don't think you can handle the idea of the pairing, that's okay. Just, don't go flipping out over my fic. Go find something that you'll actually like to read.

**Fifty-Two Flavors**

**Theme 38. Hard, But Much Truer**

On Thursday night Catherine left her packed suitcases out in the hallway. As Daisuke stared at them before going to bed, he thought of them as rude reminders of what the next day would bring. Childishly, he willed them to go away somehow, or at least burst into flames. Not that it would change things, but it would make him feel better.

Nevertheless, Friday arrived and the owner of the bags was at the airport awaiting her flight home. Both Takeru and Daisuke were there to wish her a goodbye. The others had said so the day before, so now the three of them quietly sat.

He knew he shouldn't, but Daisuke felt like an intruder. Catherine herself had asked him to see her off, yes, but she was still Takeru's guest. She had been Takeru's date for the Sakura Festival. She was Takeru's girl. Well, sort of. Himself? Well, Daisuke was just supposed to be... What _was_ he supposed to be again? He wasn't sure anymore.

Catherine sat silently in between the two boys, her fingers twiddling together in her lap. Floramon sat by her legs, every so often murmuring something in French for her partner's ears only.

"So, Catherine," Takeru began, breaking the silence, "you had a good time in Japan, right?"

"Ah, yes!" she replied, a bit startled by the sudden noise. "I like this country very much, Tah-kehroo."

"Good." The blonde boy nodded, not bothering to look at her. He wore a serious expression, and it made Daisuke wonder just what his friend was thinking.  
"But I bet you're glad you're going home."

"Well, yes," Catherine cautiously nodded, she herself picking up the odd tone in Takeru's voice. "I am a bit homesick. But I was treated very nicely here by everyone."

"Yeah, I know," his gaze suddenly shifted. "Daisuke, you'll miss Catherine, won't you?"

"What?" The begoggled boy nearly jumped out of his chair like he had been electrified.

"You heard me," Takeru said, tone flat. "You'll miss her, right?"

"Tah-kehroo..." Catherine frowned.

"Uh, yeah," Daisuke begrudgingly admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He had the sudden urge for fresh air. "I-I guess I will. I mean, we _all_ will."

"Yeah, but," Takeru sighed, propping his elbow on his chair's arm, and leaning his chin on his hand, "you'll probably miss her more than I will."

Catherine gasped, and Daisuke fumed next to her. "That's rude, man!" he declared, waving a fist.

"Not really," The blonde boy said, shrugging. "I'm only stating the truth." He turned to his brown eyed friend. "Right, Daisuke? You _will_ miss her more than I will."

Daisuke felt a chill run down his spine, as Catherine stiffened beside him. "I don't get what you're going for."

"I think you do. You both probably do," Takeru turned away from them, staring out the window ahead. "I'm not an idiot, you know? Unlike you, Daisuke, I don't need things to be literally smacked into my face before I understand what's going on.  
"You've been avoiding me for the last two weeks, Catherine. Avoiding me to spend time with Daisuke, right?" He let out a soft laugh when she sputtered, and continued before she could answer. "Yeah, I figured. I realized something wasn't right when Yamato saw you guys once on his way to band practice."

Daisuke thought his blood had run cold. Why did he feel like he had completely betrayed his friend? Catherine wasn't Takeru's girlfriend. She _wasn't_. So why did he suddenly feel like the scum of the earth?

"You just confirmed all my suspicions by showing up here, Daisuke," Takeru explained. "It made no sense that you'd want to see a houseguest off, unless there was something more to it.  
"You know, for a while there this whole thing really pissed me off. I mean, you're supposed to be able to trust you friends, right? And I do trust you, Daisuke. I did trust you."

"Takeru, man..." The begoggled boy found his voice betraying him at the worst time possible. What was he supposed to say, anyway?

"Let me finish, okay?" Takeru gave him a quick glance. "Yeah, I guess you could say I've been angry at the two of you. You were _my_ guest, Catherine. And you were _my_ friend, Daisuke. I never thought either of you would do anything behind my back. For all our fighting, I at least thought I had your respect. I had it, right, Daisuke?  
"It really doesn't matter in the long run, I suppose," he stood up, shaking his head. "After all, I only invited you as a friend, Catherine. Not fair of me to expect anything more. I guess I just assume too much some times. I never did really ask for your opinion on the matter. I... I don't think I even bothered to think about it. It wasn't right of me to just believe _anything_ without even asking you.  
"Hey, Daisuke?" He turned to the brown haired boy, a sad smile on his face. "Is this how you felt about Hikari-chan?"

Daisuke bit his lip, unable to answer for fear of sounding stupid. Beside him, Catherine frowned sadly.

"Tah-kehroo, I-"

"Don't worry about it," the blonde said, beginning to walk away. "I just needed to get it off my chest. Um, besides, it feeds my writer's soul. Or, something like that," Takeru added, giving her a sheepish shrug. He gave her a long look, and saddened slightly. "I just don't like feeling like I missed out on something good.  
"Better not screw up, Daisuke!" Takeru demanded, as he waved goodbye. "God knows when another girl will be crazy enough to spend time with you."

The last jab managed to sting Daisuke's pride just enough to get him to shout a half-hearted, "Hey!"

This seemed to please Takeru, and he grinned at his friend. "See ya around, Daisuke." With a final wave, the tall blonde walked away.

The duo remained silent for a few minutes, mulling over the scene that had just passed.

"I... I know he said not to worry," Catherine's shoulders drooped with guilt, "but I cannot help but do so."

"Yeah," Daisuke agreed. His brows were drawn together in thought for a minute. Then, he drew back and sighed, slumping down into his seat. "But that's just like Takeru."

Catherine turned to him. "Hmm?"

"Bottling everything up," he elaborated. "He keeps everything to himself, and then just lets it all out until he feels better. At least, that's what I've gotten used to him doing," Daisuke added.

"Oh. So," she pouted, perplexed, "is he okay? Really?"

"Probably," he nodded, a grin beginning to play on his lips. "If this had really been bothering him, I'd have at least a black eye by now."

She gasped. "He wouldn't!"

To this Daisuke smiled wickedly. "Ya really don't know Takeru, huh?"

"I guess not," she blinked, owlishly.

By Catherine's feet, Floramon yawned. She only could catch a few words here and there between her partner and the Japanese boy, and she really couldn't bring herself to care much about the details. As long as Catherine was happy, which she seemed to be now. The digimon had been wondering if she'd need to teach the blonde boy some manners, since he was making Catherine upset. But he left on his own. Just as well. Her partner was much more interested in the goggled boy.

With a smile, Catherine patted her partner's head, amused at the digimon's ability to settle herself into sleep anywhere.

"So," Daisuke started, staring at the floor, "you're leaving."

It was a statement of the obvious, but one that still needed to be said. They hadn't really wanted to admit it, and having the words in the air made the fact solidify itself in their brains.

"Yes," she nodded, picking at an invisible thread on her skirt. "Any minute now."

"Well, you know," he scratched the back of his head, "it was... nice having you here."

"It was very nice being here."

"I'll write and stuff."

"Good. I will, too."

"Can you write Japanese well enough for that?"

"I guess I'll figure it out as I go."

"Oh. Okay. Good."

Stale conversation, Daisuke realized, was even worse than silence. Especially when you had so many things you wanted to say, and no idea how to say them. So, he decided not to think about it, and just say it. Nothing would ever get done if action wasn't taken, right?

"I'm going to visit," he blurted out, throwing all caution to the wind.

"What?" Catherine's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in shock.

Daisuke turned to her. "I said I'm going to visit. France. You."

"Do you really mean that, Die-skay?" she asked, expression hopeful.

"Yeah," he nodded, feeling surer of himself with each moment. "Yeah, I do."

"That's... That's wonderful, Die-skay!" With a joyous laugh, Catherine leaned over her chair, and threw her arms around him. "That makes me very happy."

Her cheek was pressed against his own, and Daisuke felt a little lightheaded when her perfume tickled his senses. Somehow though, he doubted the lilac scent was the cause of the dizziness. Blushing, he scratched his head. "It makes me happy, too," he muttered, more embarrassed by the moment.

When she released him she was still leaning slightly on him, smiling brightly. "I have all these different places I want to show you! Oh, I will need to make a list..." she tapped his lips, clearly thinking of all the possibilities. Daisuke found it quite cute.

"Now, I don't really know when I can go, or just how I'm going to get there," he warned her, trying not to get her hopes up. "But I think I can swing it with my parents if I go for the cultural angle. Traveling will probably be the tricky part."

"But you'll come, right Die-skay?" she asked, nervous now. "You'll visit, won't you?"

"I said I would, didn't I?" he grinned. "It's a promise; I won't go back on my word."

"A promise," Catherine agreed, looking happier than she had all day. "Right."

The loud speaker crackled to life then, announcing Catherine's flight to France was boarding. The duo sat there silently for a moment, letting it sink in. It still hurt knowing that she was leaving, but not as much anymore. Not now, when there was something to look forward to. Goodbyes never hurt too badly when you knew there was a hello waiting in the future.


End file.
